Toothbrushes with an electrical or mechanical drive have been known for a long time. None of the toothbrushes of this type presently on the market, however, fulfill the requirement of cleaning the teeth having interdental spaces and periodontal pockets. In the usually known power-operated toothbrushes, which execute an oscillating cleaning movement, there exists the danger that food residues and other dental impurities may be brushed into the interdental spaces, into the pockets and also into the gums.
In has already been suggested to eliminate these drawbacks by the use of power-operated toothbrushes, rotating by their axis. Even toothbrushes with complicated crank systems already belong to the state of the art. Power-operated toothbrushes of this type, however, could previously, not succeed because their assembly was too complicated and thus too unwieldy and since they were also too expensive in manufacture. Also such brushes could not be used, particularly with respect to the rotating brushes, because of the possible danger of injury to the mucous membrane of the mouth on the inside of the cheeks and lips.